An archbishop is a senior bishop who oversees other bishops and priests across a large region. While a regular bishop leads the churches in one area (called a diocese), an archbishop has authority over multiple dioceses in what's called an archdiocese or province.

Think of it like school administration: if a bishop is like a principal running one school, an archbishop is like a superintendent overseeing several schools in a district. The archbishop of New York, for example, leads the Catholic Church across multiple counties, coordinating the work of bishops who each lead smaller areas within that region.

The title comes from Greek, where arch means “chief” or “principal.” You see this prefix in other words too: an archrival is your biggest rival, and an architect is the chief builder who designs structures. So an archbishop is essentially a chief bishop.

Different Christian denominations use the title differently. In the Catholic Church, archbishops often lead major cities and important regions. The Anglican Church (including the Church of England) also has archbishops, with the Archbishop of Canterbury being the most senior. Some Orthodox churches use the title as well. Not every city has an archbishop, only larger or historically important religious centers, which is why being appointed archbishop is considered a significant honor and responsibility.